Jaren Jackson Jr. was the BPG single-season leader in back-to-back seasons.

The Grizzlies have had some elite defenders on their roster in the past, having several elite rim protectors throughout their history. Here we’ll take a look at the best five individual seasons for Grizzlies players in the category of blocks per game.

Jaren Jackson Jr. – 2023, 3.0 BPG

Jackson is one of the cornerstones of the Grizzlies organization and has earned the reputation of being one of the best interior defenders in the NBA. The star center posted a career-high 3.0 swats per game in 2022-23, a season in which the Grizzlies finished with the second-best record in the Western Conference at 51-31. Jackson led the league in blocks per game that year with 0.5 more than the players who ranked second and third.

Jaren Jackson – 2022, 2.3 BPG

Jackson’s emergence as an elite rim protector started in the 2021-22 season, when the star big man once again played a sizable role for a Memphis team that won 56 games in the regular season. The 2.3 blocks per game was a previous career-high mark for the former Michigan State standout, leading the league in blocks once more.

Pau Gasol – 2007, 2.1 BPG

Gasol played the first six and a half seasons of his NBA career with the Grizzlies and established himself as one of the best power forwards in the league before joining the Lakers via trade in the 2007-08 campaign. He was a defensive stalwart in 2006-07, his final full season in Memphis, and that mark of 2.1 blocks per game was a joint-career-high mark for him. On a league-wide scale, Gasol ranked eighth in the league in blocks per game that season. Marcus Camby led the league with 3.3 swats per game while playing for the Nuggets.

Pau Gasol – 2002, 2.1 BPG

Gasol’s emergence in the NBA was a sizable one, as he looked dominant in some stretches during the 2001-02 season, his first in The Association. The Spaniard averaged 17.6 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game while being named the Rookie of the Year. He also ranked in the Top 10 in swats per contest, an impressive feat as a first-year player in an era where rim protection was a premium asset. Ben Wallace led the league in BPG that season with 3.5 blocks per contest.

Roy Rogers – 1997, 2.0 BPG

Rogers was the top interior presence for the Grizzlies in the 1996-97 season, their second year in the league, when they were playing in Vancouver. He finished 12th in the NBA in that particular category that year.